pipe bowl

pipe bowl

pipe bowl

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Introduction

A black stone pipe with a flaring bowl, rectangular shank, and short pointed prow with lead-inlay in geometric patterns of parallel stripes. Mid-nineteenth century, from the Charles Stephens collection.

Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe
Date Made or Date Range: 1820s-1850s
Materials

grey-black pipestone/steatite?, lead inlay

Techniques or Format

four bands of lead inlay around a slightly flared bowl, the shank has two narrow bands of lead inlay, then six wider bands crossed at right angles by a central band, to form pattern of rectangles, tapering, pointed prow extension comes to a point

Motifs and Patterns

parallel bands or stripes and rectangles

Other Notes

Alan Corbiere - the four bands around the bowl related to the four levels of the sky in Mide belief, or possibly the four directions; David Penney: the significance of the five wider bands could be to isolate the rectangles as significant shapes. AC: Eddie King speaks of the five levels of the manitous

Condition: good
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Recorded as acquired by Stephens from an 1857 collection

Current Location: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: 45-15-1395
Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1947
Collection Narratives and Histories

Purchased from Mr.s Owen Stephens

GKS Reference Number: 26138
Record Creation Notes/Observations

GRASAC site research visit by Alan Corbiere, David Penney, Stacey Loyer, Ruth Phillips and William Wierzbowski (curator) on December 2, 2009

Approximate Place of Origin

43.0703, -80.1184

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